Reflection on Being a Change Agent/8-A-2

I will reflect on my experience so far as a change agent in my school district, and on the opportunities I have to do so in the future.

This 21^st century literacy class is my last required (elective) course for my Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. The subtitle of that degree is “Teachers as Agents of Change.” Developing our leadership qualities has been a key part of this Masters program, and so I have had many opportunities to reflect on and practice being a change agent since I began the coursework two years ago.

Our school district, with a new superintendent, is focused now on a “bottom-up,” as opposed to “top-down,” organizational model. We are developing professional learning communities within our district to increase curriculum awareness and increase technology use to learn and teach, among other things. Through the leadership of our superintendent, and a number of other teachers including myself, we are implementing school improvement through collaboration and training. I am very, very fortunate to be a part of a district that has changed from a top-down to a bottom-up model of leadership, because I feel more valuable to the district and more invested in it, because I am helping to create it with others, rather than being a passive participant. Our teachers can offer their expertise more easily when they know it will be appreciated and valued. I can’t believe how much human capital has been overlooked (and wasted) within our faculty and staff, due to the nature of having been in a top-down model for so many years.

Some of the issues I faced in making the change from the old model to the new one is an initial discomfort with my own leadership. I am used to the older top-down model, so I was, at first, very hesitant to bring up ideas because I did not want to cross any boundaries and be perceived as unprofessional. I wasn’t sure if my administrators were just “talking the talk,” because I hadn’t yet had an opportunity to test them and see if they would actually “walk the walk.” However, I did push myself beyond my comfort zone and take risks in these areas, and I have ended up being encouraged to do so by our superintendent. Since I’ve been invited to become more involved and give input, I am more comfortable with being accountable as an educator, too. It now feels like less of a burden placed on me, and more like a responsibility I am choosing to take on myself.

Since beginning work on my Masters and am now nearing completion of this particular course, I have applied for a 7^th/8^th grade Language Arts position after working in the elementary school for eight years. The reason I am eyeing that position is because it will allow me tremendous opportunity to incorporate 21^st century literacy using digital media. This age group tends to be opinionated, social and challenging to engage, which could not be a more perfect setting in which to implement learning projects using digital technology. I sought assurance from our superintendent that I would try new things but did not want to be punished if they didn’t work. He was quick to respond by saying that there is a learning curve to trying new things, and he understood the risk, and felt the risk was necessary in order to improve our instruction and student learning. Yes, I am very fortunate to work where I do.

There is a quote I have learned to appreciate after taking this class: “I enjoy failure, because the more often I fail, I know I am that much closer to success.” I don’t know who said this, but I need to post it in my classroom so students know that failure is a normal, and an essential, part of learning and improving. The sentiments in the quote encourage risk-taking, and experimentation, by putting this very refreshing and timely new spin on failure. We can all take a lesson from it.